Proposed Purchase of Ahmanson Land

* Re “Hayden Proposes State Purchase of Ahmanson Land to Protect Species,” June 15.

This whole Ahmanson Ranch debate is verging on madness. This article reports that state Sen. Tom Hayden (D-Los Angeles) wants taxpayers to fork over $10 million to protect endangered species on the Ahmanson Ranch--something the developer of the project is already obliged to pay for and is in the process of doing. Hayden says he has lined up budget money to persuade the developer to sell portions of the ranchland even though the developer says the property is not for sale.

To me, this is madness. Let’s stop indulging the obsessions of certain local groups at the expense of the rest of the region and the state. We need housing on the Ahmanson Ranch as was planned eight years ago!

Even environmental planners like Bill Fulton are saying we must change our mind-set. We can’t have it both ways. No growth is fine on the agricultural acres--I’m for that--but what do you do about the hordes of people coming to Southern California? Do people really want them to scrunch into substandard housing in the cities and lose the quality of life entirely?

Let’s be realistic. Ahmanson Ranch won’t solve all of our problems, but it’s a good beginning. The project is a beautifully planned city that will show us the way. How many years does it take for us to realize that we must make compromises to accommodate population growth (even for our own offspring).

Growth will happen . We can choose where it goes. Ahmanson Ranch is one place where it belongs.

CAROLYN LEAVENS

Ventura